Loki's Awakening
by Artemisa-arcanum
Summary: A prequel of a sorts to Loki's Secret. Read that first to make sense of this one. A challenge has been issued to an unlikely successor. Will he follow through?Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Before HBP.


Summary - A prequel of a sorts to _Loki's Secret_. Read that first to make sense of this one. A challenge has been issued to an unlikely successor. Will he follow through?

Warning – Please read _Loki's Secret_ first. Makes a lot more sense that way and in my opinion is funnier. Same kind of way Star Wars Episode III makes a lot more sense if you know what happened in the original trilogy.

Disclaimer - All characters belong to the talented J.K.Rowling and the nice people at Warner. The plot is inspired by her work except the you don't recognize. But if she who owns HP likes this, she can have it, provided I survive the heart attack at finding out she does..

Disclaimer #2 - No. I don't think that Harry and Dumbledore will patch up quite this easily, but I may be wrong. They need each other too much to let the rift separate them too long.

ooo

**Loki's Awakening**

Back in Hogwarts.

Back to the one place that had ever felt like home.

Back to the place he now knew was as much a cage as Privet Drive was.

He had refused to attend the welcoming feast, not being really in the mood for it. He was sure he'd hear whatever Dumbledore had deigned to tell the school for this start of year fairly soon. He was not really interested in hearing half-truths or another of the hat's song pleading the school for unity.

He didn't think the houses could be more divided than they were now. The rifts between the houses and even within them had been quite visible even on the train ride. It was bound to be worse as the year progressed.

So much for that advice.

ooo

First day, first morning. Schedules were handed out by prefects and Harry could see which of his NEWT classes he had to prepare for during the day. To his surprise, there were more classes assigned to him than he had actually signed up. He raised his eyebrows when he noticed a couple of sessions a week scheduled as DA with a large room in the third floor as its classroom. Hermione and Ron had the same in their schedules. He suspected all current DA members had the same.

Apparently the faculty had decided to make the DA official this year. Without telling him about it. Typical. He shrugged his frustration away. After all, the DA meetings were probably the thing he got the most satisfaction from last year. Slaying basilisks and facing down Dark Lords paled in comparison to what he had done in the Room of Requirement.

Advanced Magic was also selected, three sessions a week. Sneaking a look at his friends' schedules, he could see that had the same, but only two sessions a week.

"I think Dumbledore arranged some extra lessons for us. Given the situation..." Hermione said.

"And you have two extra days of it Harry. Individual lessons for you, I guess." Ron said. The worry in his voice was palpable.

_Two days?_ He only saw one additional session of Advanced Magic scheduled. Another hour had been highlighted as busy, but the name was blank. It was scheduled for tonight at eighth floor of the North Tower. He guessed he would find out more then.

ooo

He entered the room on time as was not especially surprised to find himself alone there. What _did_ surprise him was the room itself. It seemed like a combination lab, store room and study hall. Assorted chairs and tables. Bookcases filled with books. Instruments at which he could only guess their use. He ran his eyes over a display of weapons on one of the walls. They all looked frighteningly ready for use.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter."

He turned around, wand in hand ready to curse whoever had spoken. His hand relaxed marginally when he realized the headmaster was standing there. Harry swallowed painfully. He had not spoken to Dumbledore since that horrible night after the Department of Mysteries fiasco. Since Sirius...

Since he had screamed his head off at his teacher and had come close to cursing him.

Since hearing the prophecy that haunted his nightmares.

He looked away from those penetrating blue eyes, feeling a combination of shame and trepidation in the old wizard's presence. As well as a lingering resentment.

The kindly tone in which the he had spoken told him that Dumbledore hoped this particular conversation to be calmer than their last. Harry couldn't but wonder if the setting had been changed in case it didn't. After all, he _had_ vandalized the headmaster's office. None of the objects in the room looked particularly fragile or valuable, although some looked positively dangerous.

Harry put away his wand and stood there without saying a word. He managed to look in the headmaster's direction without really meeting those eyes. Making an effort to appear like the receptive student he was supposed to be. Like the weapon the headmaster needed against the fight against the most evil wizard in the last century. For that was surely the reason he was here. To receive the training that might enable him to be a murderer instead of a victim.

No matter how bad the odds were in his favor.

The headmaster moved closer to him and his hand reached out to lift his face forcing him to look into those usually twinkling eyes.

"Harry..."

Harry wanted to pull away, to keep Dumbledore from seeing inside his mind, his heart, but those blue eyes held his.

What he felt was not what he expected. He didn't feel Dumbledore exploring his feelings and thoughts, instead he was sure he was feeling the headmaster's. Burdens unimaginable. Manipulations he'd had to do. Decisions made. Regrets.

Love.

Love for the boy/young man standing in front of him. Pain at what he had done to him. Rage at those who had hurt him. Despair at what he knew this person would have to face. Fear that he would loose him before telling him so. Pride in what he had already faced, survived and done.

Albus Dumbledore had just bared his heart for him.

Harry felt overwhelmed and comforted at the same time. He accepted what he felt and responded in the only way his heart would let him.

He let the headmaster see his own heart. All barriers dropped down and green eyes met blue unflinchingly.

Frustration. Anger. Denial. Years of loneliness and abuse. Betrayal at being abandoned. The emptiness that used to be Sirius. Rage at what fate demanded of him. Fear at what the future held. Terror of becoming that what he feared the most. Self loathing for endangering those around him, just for being around him.

Love.

Love for the old wizard in front of him. Love for his friends. Love for the surrogate family that had adopted him. Love for the family he had lost. Love for those who had believed in him. Love for the one place that felt like home.

Old and young wizard faced each other. Both alone and set apart by what the light demanded of them both. Both together.

ooo

It had been a long time before either could speak.

The smile on Dumbledore's face could not be denied. Harry himself felt much better than he had in a long time.

"You are not like him, Harry." The headmaster said from his chair.

Harry was pacing nervously. "I have some of his powers. I'm connected to his mind. I... I'm supposed to kill him. At least try to. How can I do that without becoming like him?"

The old wizard's voice was steady and reassuring. "Tom made his choices and you have made yours. Believe me when I say you've been through a lot more pain that he ever did and yet you've not chosen the way of revenge and power like he did. You are nothing alike."

Harry faced the headmaster challenging this. "But I have to be as strong as he is to defeat him. If I want to survive."

The determined voice grew stronger and the headmaster's eyes had fire in them instead of their customary blue twinkle. "You have to be stronger in what he is weak. In what he underestimates. I won't lie to you. I don't know what will be needed to defeat him. I can only help you find the weapons and defenses to do so."

Harry gave a nervous look at the deadly weapons on the wall, he could feel his insides contracting. So this was it. He was to train as a killer if he hoped to survive. He sat down heavily.

"I can only make sure you stay human." Came the surprising statement.

Harry blinked in confusion. _Human_. He remembered saying (screaming) that he did not want to be human anymore if it meant pain like he was feeling. He had meant it at the time. Now he knew that staying human was what he wanted the most.

The old teacher continued in a musing voice. "Do you remember what I told you? About what saved you from his possession?"

"You said that my heart saved me." Harry said tentatively.

"Your heart. That's what you need to strengthen. You need to find happiness and joy in your life. To have fun. A way to offset the burdens you have and I'm giving you this time and room to do it so." The headmaster said with a sweeping motion.

Harry's confusion must have shown quite plainly in his face.

"After tonight, only you will be able to come inside this room. It will be barred to all others unless you let them inside, even myself. Think of it as your operations room and this is your text book." The old wizard reached inside his robes and pulled out a book which he handed to him. It looked like it had been very much used. The title surprised Harry. _A Thousand and One Jokes and Tricks_ could be plainly read in its cover.

"Jokes? You want me to play tricks on people?" He asked in disbelief.

The twinkle was back. "I want you to make people laugh. Misters Weasley and Jordan will be sorely missed this year, I'm afraid. You recognized the value of laughter when you helped them with their joke shop. I'm asking you to take it one step further."

Harry goggled at the headmaster. There could be no other way to describe it.

"Think of it as being a morale officer. And I expect you to take this appointment very seriously. I will even award you points for creativity, secrecy and stealth. Think of it as preparation if you really become an Auror. I will only ask you not to hurt anyone in the process." He said with a wink.

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again. Harry wished he knew how to make his own do that. It was certainly useful when you wanted to hide what you were thinking.

"When you leave, place your hand on the door and choose a password. I will leave it to you if you want to share it with anyone else." Dumbledore rose from the chair and made his way across the room to leave. Harry stayed where he was, still trying to get his head around the idea that the _school's headmaster _wanted him to play pranks and would even give him points instead of detention.

"One last thing, Harry. If you should need anything, anything at all, your password to my office is _Bittersweet Chocolate Snips_." With that, he left.

Harry wondered how the headmaster knew what his favorite candy was.

ooo

Harry sat in the room for a long time. _His room_. He thought about the challenge that the headmaster had set before him. He was fairly certain that he had not included the rest of Hogwarts staff on this particular task so, if he got caught, he was sure to get detention _and_ lose points. Stealth was needed if he were to get away with anything.

He couldn't tell Ron and Hermione about this. At least not yet. As prefects they might feel obligated to turn him in.

So, this was between him and the headmaster for now.

_Don't hurt anyone in the process_. Harry heartily agreed with that. There was no way he would let this become some sort of bullying tool. He'd been on the receiving end too long to think something like that funny. Add embarrassing and shameful to that particular list.

He didn't think he could follow in the steps of the Weasley twins, as he did not have their flair for explosive and incendiary devices. He's rather be a bit more subtle in the results and not too disruptive or the teaching staff (and Hermione) would be looking for his blood when he was found out. He didn't think they would be supportive of this as they had been under Umbridge's reign.

Summing up: He would need to be stealthy, subtle and non-aggressive. He smiled. _Quite the challenge_. He had an operations room, an invisibility cloak, a resource book and a charmed map. Might as well give it a try.

_Let's start with something simple_ as he started to review his _textbook_.

ooo

He stepped out of the room. After a moment's thought he placed his hand on the door and said, "Loki's Liar."

ooo

Back in the Gryffindor common room, it was fairly easy to evade Ron's and Hermione's questions regarding the 'extra class', especially since they were both into a heated argument on whether or not they should start revising for their NEWTs on their first night of term. Harry settled the argument proposing to revise for half the time that Hermione had originally planned.

Hours later, both his friends had fallen asleep. He watched them with a fond look as they gently snored. Each on their own corner.

A mischievous look passed over his face. He checked the common room to confirm that were the last ones there and pulled out his wand. As quietly as he could, he spoke a levitation charm and floated Ron's sleeping form gently, guiding his mate closer to their other best friend. The one who slept on a different dorm. The one that, as Ron had realized in fourth year, was a _girl_.

He placed Ron gently down, right beside Hermione's sleeping form.

What happened next surprised him.

He'd had every intention of making them hold hands or something that would make them blush a bit when they woke up. Instead, he watched as their sleeping selves seemed to cuddle against the other.

Hermione's head moved to rest on Ron's shoulder and his on top of her head. He watched in fascination as Hermione's arm threaded under Ron's. Both their faces took on a more peaceful look. They looked _right_ in a way he could not describe.

He grinned. He was sure that there would be some blushing and half muttered apologies when his two best friends woke up. However, he could in a clear conscience say that they had acted on their own. More or less.

He picked up his things, wanting to be away from the scene in case they decided to wake up.

As he headed to the boys dorms, he spotted Colin's camera sitting on one of the tables. He remembered the way that his fellow Gryffindor had followed him around with it. Even if Colin had cooled down his ardor over time, Harry thought that somebody should really do that to him sometime, just so he'd know what it felt like.


End file.
